In various battery and supercapacitor applications, oxides, particularly manganese oxides, have proven to be exceptionally useful due to their high charge capacity, low cost, and low toxicity. In particular, given their high charge capacity and low toxicity, manganese oxides (particularly the dioxides) have been considered a promising material for use in electrodes (for example, as a cathode component). Various forms of manganese dioxide (MnO2) exist, such as the alpha (α), beta (β) and gamma (γ) forms. These have been useful for applications in both batteries and supercapacitors.
However, MnO2 in particular often exhibits poor cycling and storage capabilities, which limits its use in rechargeable electrochemical batteries. As such, there is a need in the art for modified oxide compositions, which may be useful in electrochemical applications.